Collision Course
by IvyWings
Summary: It has been seven years since they've parted. Maybe since that day, they've always been on this collision course-the one that will cause them to face the troubles they left behind, for better or for worse. Complete
1. Collision Course

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Young Wizard Series**

I was going to wait until Insuppressible was done before I posted this, but I couldn't wait! I think this series is going to have maybe 5 chapters, which will be drastically longer (I promise.)

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The sky overhead was a brooding blue-grey and a slight whisper of a breeze danced through the air. The very first snowflakes of the season were beginning to sprinkle from the clouds, but they didn't stop the bustling streets or the crowded sidewalks of the city down below. A few glared up at the sky and tucked their scarves around their necks tighter. Others were too busy shouting on their cell phones over the noise of mid-day traffic to even realize. A few wide eyed children jumped up and down in joy, swatting at the downy flakes.

Around the block, a young woman stepped out of a shop beside the corner deli. She paused under the overhanging to stuff a plastic credit card into her purse, and rearrange the several bags she was carrying. Finally satisfied, she stepped onto the sidewalk and continued on her way.

Three blocks away, a young man stepped off a bus. He was not carrying any bags and paused to look up at the sky and watch scant snowflakes fall down for a moment. Behind him, the bus pulled away with a groan and a puff of exhaust. The man ran a hand through his dark hair and flicked off the moisture of melted snow before turning and walking down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace.

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The young woman paused as she passed a glass display window. It was a model of a rainforest in amazing detail. The sign above the door read "Science Galore," but the woman was totally entranced by the model forest. Ropey vines hung between the moss covered trees and bright flowers dotted the leaf covered carpeted floor. In between the branches she could spot small painted monkeys, and birds.

The woman gazed in on this scene for only a moment longer, and then turned to continue down the near deserted sidewalk. Well, that was her intention if she hadn't collided with someone walking in the opposite direction.

She gave a small muffled noise of surprise as she rammed into the man, and in a way, bounced off. She dropped her bags and would have slipped if his hand hadn't shot out to steady her. They both started to talk at the same time.

"I am so sorry!"

"No it's my fault!"

"Here, let me help you with that."

"Thanks. I'm so sorry. I should have been watching where I was going."

"No problem, it's not your fault."

Both of them knelt down to retrieve the packages the woman had dropped. She ran her gaze over the man as he gathered a few books that had fallen out of their designated paper bag. He was wearing casual jeans and a black jacket that made his dark hair stand out. There was some stubble peppering his cheeks and he had a slight Hispanic look to him. It was when he looked up at her, offering her the bags he had picked up, and her grey eyes met his chocolate ones that she knew.

"Kit?!"

"Nita?!"

The two stared at each other, completely and utterly floored.

The man with the dark hair ran his eyes over the woman. Her long brown hair was artfully styled into messy layered waves and was unbound down her back. Her navy blue peacoat showed off her slender waist and curves. Long gone were the few small red spots that once appeared on her face, causing her great aggravation. Now her skin was smooth, no spots or marks.

"Nita?" He said again. "Juanita Callahan?"

She gave a small hesitant smile. "Only if you're Christopher Rodriguez."

"Wow, it has been a while." He ran a hand nervously through his hair again.

"Yeah, too long. But I never expected to see you here. I thought you were in Miami."

"I was. But after I graduated, I decided to move somewhere no quite so hot. And you, you look different. How are things going?"

"A lot of things changed during college." Nita admitted. "But its going pretty go—"

"Hey Nita!" Someone interrupted her as they called from down the sidewalk. Nita glanced over her shoulder, and smiled at the man who stepped into place beside her, while simultaneously sliding his arm around her waist and giving her a small squeeze. He was a little taller than Kit, who was a head taller than Nita. The man had short sandy blond hair, green eyes, and was slightly muscular, as if he stopped by the gym a few times a week. He noticed Kit and gave him a smile. "I'm sorry did I interrupt something?"

"No, it's ok." Nita told him. "I was just catching up with an old friend. This is Christopher Rodriguez."

The mans face was blank for a second then a grin stretched across his face. "Ahh, so is this the Kit I've heard so much about?" Kit shot a quick glance at Nita. The man reached out and gave Kits hand a firm shake. "I hear you and Nita got into a fair amount of trouble back when you were kids huh?"

"Um yes. I guess you could call it trouble." Kit replied, again looking at Nita.

The man smiled at Nita. "Were you going to introduce me?" he teased lightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Nita seemed a little hesitant. "Kit, this is Daniel Cook. My fiancé."

I was as if Kits mind was a snow globe and life's hand had picked it up and roughly shaken it, leaving behind a chaotic mess of swirling thoughts. "F-fiancé?" Kit asked.

Daniel beamed. "Uh huh! I know it's a bit early; we're only in our late twenties. But I can't see myself with anyone else." Beside him, Nita was blushing and looking anywhere but at Kit. "Honey, how about we catch a late lunch down at that little Italian Bistro I know you love so much?"

"S-sure," Nita managed a weak smile.

Daniel turned to Kit again. "I'm sorry to whisk her off right now but we have a lot of places to go yet. I'm glad to have met you."

"Same here." Kit turned to Nita. "It was nice bumping into each other."

"Maybe we can catch up later," Nita suggested.

"Perhaps."

"Well, good bye," Daniel and Nita brushed past Kit and were on their way, leaving him standing on the sidewalk under the light snowfall drifting from the sky.

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I'm so excited and a little apprehensive on the reviews, whether or not this will be liked. So please give me your feed back! -Ivy


	2. Pizza Place on 2nd

Nita hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until they turned around the corner and out of sight. When she did let it out, a sudden pain seized her chest and her step faltered momentarily until it subsided. Beside her, Daniel gave her a one armed squeeze. He smiled down at her and she couldn't help but smile back.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little…surprised."

"Well I expect so. What's it been? Seven years you told me since you guys parted ways? I wonder what he's doing in this part of the city anyway. You said that you guys never reconnected over the past years huh?"

Nita nodded mutely. She didn't trust herself to say anything. This odd feeling inside her was welling up, threatening to overflow.

"It looks like I have some competition," Daniel said playfully.

"Huh?" Nita looked up at him in question.

Daniel chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I guess it's a guy thing."

"I may not know what you're talking about, but I do know that I love you," she replied.

"And I'm grateful everyday that you do." They had reached the Bistro, and Daniel grabbed the gold handle of the glass doors and held it open for Nita, then followed her into the warm cozy building.

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[2 days later]

Kit stared at the phone sitting on the coffee tale before him. He didn't pick it up, or make a call, just stared. Suddenly, with a sigh he picked it up, hit the green talk button, and held it to his ear. The monotonous dial tone rang in his ear. Then Kit looked at the book sitting in his lap. The writing inside was not English. It had graceful curves and a slightly Arabic look to it. He traced his finger once again down the list of names until his finger stopped underneath the one he had read at least 20 times.

Callahan, Juanita

Apt. 116

Rosewin Ave.

(795) 888-9781

Status: No current project

After the two had parted ways, and gone off to college, Nita's name just kind of faded away. But there it was now, shining boldly in the manuals black inked letters. He looked at the number under her current address. But just like the last time, he ended up staring at the name for a few minutes before hanging up the phone and putting it back on the coffee table. Kit rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin.

_I can't call her! We haven't spoken in seven years! But that's all the more reason to call isn't it? But you saw – she's __engaged!__ I still can't believe it. I mean, I guess I knew it would happen eventually but I never thought – I mean - … It's her life. I have no right to interfere. But catching up with a friend isn't interfering is it? Ok, this time I'm going to do it. I'm going to call her. _

Then the unexpected happened. The phone rang. Could it be? Was this even possible? Kit lunged for the phone and clicked the talk button, bringing it to his ear.

"Hello?" He asked breathlessly.

"Hi, is this Christopher Rodriguez?" a female voice asked through the phone.

"Yes it is!" It was her wasn't it?!

"Hello, my name is Sara and I'm calling to ask you if you're interested in subscribing to our all new news informer, _News Today_, for a limited time low price."

Oh. Kit seemed to deflate. "No thanks, I'm not interested," Kit answered glumly. Then he hung up before _Sara_ could inquire in her perky voice for the specific reasons why he did not want to subscribe. Kit got up, grabbing the empty coffee cup and shuffling to the small kitchen in his apartment for a refill. On his way there he stumbled on a few cardboard boxes scattered around the living room. He still hadn't finished unpacking all his things.

The phone rang again.

"Cripes, I don't want a subscription!" Kit cried in exasperation as he back pedaled and grabbed at the phone again. Then he proceeded towards the kitchen. He jabbed at the talk button and balanced the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he reached for the coffee pot. "What." He said bluntly.

There was a moment of silence on the other line, then "Is that really any way to answer your phone?" an amused voice asked.

Kit froze. "Nita?!" he said, right before he accidentally poured scalding coffee onto his hand. "Jesus!" he yelped, dropping his coffee cup, causing it to shatter when it hit the floor. As he sidestepped the forming puddle of coffee, the phone slipped and clattered to the floor. Kit dove after it and brought it up to his ear again. "Nita?"

"Are you ok? It sounds like your being robbed over there."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just spilt some coffee."

Then she was laughing and he felt himself grinning. "Yep, that sounds like you Kit," she said.

"I'm not sure how I should take that. So why are you calling?"

She stopped laughing then and he fiercely wished to say something to bring it back.

"Well," she said carefully. "I was thinking that maybe we could do some catching up. It has been a while and there are probably some things we should talk about." Her voice was guarded.

_Yeah, like the fact that you're engaged to another man?!_ Kit cleared his throat. "Yeah sure. That sounds good. How about lunch somewhere?"

"Sure. There's a deli on the corner, or a nice little diner downtown, and a pizza place on 2nd. Or what ever you like."

"Pizza sounds good. My treat. Lunchtime tomorrow?"

"Sounds good. See you then."

"Bye Nita." Then with a click, the line went dead. Kit didn't know weather to laugh or cry.

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Those odd feelings of Nita's emerged again as she walked down the street towards the pizza parlor on 2nd. She wished she could understand this feeling inside her. Was it apprehension, nerves, sorrow, happiness, anger? Maybe if she understood what it was, she could control it. Keep it from knowing away at her insides. But she couldn't.

It had taken a lot to pick up that phone and dial Kits listed number. She had sat staring at the phone for almost an hour before she called him, not giving herself time to think so she wouldn't chicken out. Those 3 and a half rings were the hardest thing. Every second she wanted to hang up the phone but she held on till his voice came abruptly through the line. She almost didn't recognize his voice. It had been deeper when she ran into him the other day, but over the phone the change was more prominent.

Nita liked the feel of her long hair framing her face and the feathery feel of it against her back. It was like a screen between her and the city around her. Daniel didn't know she was meeting Kit today. She hadn't lied to him, just never told him what she was doing. She didn't know how to feel about this. She did not like keeping secrets from Daniel, but she wasn't sure about how he would feel about this. But it was just a casual lunch with a friend. Right?

Then up ahead of her, she saw Kit, leaning casually against the brick walls of the pizza place. He looked up as she approached and gave her a smile. Those feelings weld up in Nita again and before she knew what she had done, she was hugging him. His body stiffened in surprise, then relaxed and tentatively wrapped around. her.

"I missed you Kit," she whispered. He felt hardened under her arms, but smelled good, warm and familiar.

"I missed you too," he told her. Nita blinked her eyes as they grew slightly prickly, and then drew back.

"We have lots to talk about," she said. Then they entered the pizza place.

10 minutes later, they were sitting across from each other in a corner of the restaurant. There was a basket of breadsticks between them and each had a coke.

"So," Nita said. "Why are you in the city?"

"Well I moved here about two weeks ago actually. I guess I missed the busyness of the city. What about you? I thought you wanted to work with animals and be a vet or something."

"I did but then I figured it might not be such a good idea." Kit raised an eyebrow and tore a breadstick in half. "Well, me being a wizard, being exposed to peoples pets all the time might have some, well effects, on the animals. I think the owners would get suspicious if they're pets suddenly started acting more sophisticated and showed an interest in the meaning of the universe. So I decided to go into art and in then I ended up majoring in fashion design."

"Wow really?"

"Don't look so surprised," Nita smiled. "I like my job now. I do a little designing for a local clothing shop and help perfect new ideas. Like fabric type, the colors and designs. That sort of thing. How about you?"

Kit gave a mischievous smile. "I'm a chef."

"No!"

"Yup. Hard to believe huh? I found a good job here so I moved into an apartment. I have to admit; it's a fun job."

"Kit, who could burn water, is now a chef?"

"Well you're a fashion designer."

"True." They were silent for a while. Nita tore the breadstick on her plate into little pieces. "A lot as changed I guess huh?" she asked quietly.

"Yup. So what about you and… you and Daniel?" Kit asked.

"Well we met after I got out of college. I was new in the city and I ran into him at a bar I was working at during the evening. Before I had secured my fashion job. I guess it just clicked."

"I see." Their pizza arrived then so the next few minutes were spent in silence. The rest of their meal was filled with small, unimportant talk.

Nita looked at her watch some hour later. "Oh I've got to go no. I have a meeting in half an hour. It was nice catching up with you. Maybe we will see each other later?"

"Sure." Kit said. He watched her leave the pizza place and flag down a taxi. He felt a strange disappointment. The whole time he had wanted to bring up another topic, but it just couldn't seem to find the right words. He wanted to ask her about her wizardry and how her spells were doing. Maybe some other time. Then he drained his coke, and got up to leave as well.

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Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review. -Ivy


	3. Cheerup Sundaes

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Young Wizard Series**

**Thanks for the reviews! =]**

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_[7 years ago]_

_Nita found Kit at the pier, his legs dangling over the water. She sat down beside him and they both watched the setting sun together. Kit heaved a sigh._

"_What's the matter?" Nita asked. "You've been mopey all day."_

"_I have not."_

"_Kit I've been your best friend for 8 years. When I say you're being mopey, you're being mopey."_

"_It's…nothing. It's nothing."_

"_Oh c'mon, don't give me that!" Nita leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"_

"_I guess I'm just overwhelmed. There are so many things I need to figure out. Like this," he held up their clasped hands which had somehow made their way together over the last few minutes._

"_Kit your being silly! We have the rest of our lives to figure this stuff out." She squeezed his hand. "Just think. Soon we'll leave for college together! Think of all the time we'll have then."_

"_No Nita. There is no time. I wasn't accepted into the Virginia University."_

_Nita pulled back to look at his face. "Is this a joke?" she asked him sternly._

"_No, I'm serious. I was denied."_

"_But—but there must be a mistake! If _I _can get in, you certainly should!"_

"_I don't know Neets." Kit stared down at the darkening water. "I'll be going to a school in Miami instead."_

_Nita bit her lip. She had not applied to that particular school. "Well maybe I can send in an application there! Then we can still go to college together."_

_Kit put his head in his hands. "It's too late Nita. The deadline was months ago."_

_The two were silent. Nita did not realize she was crying, until Kit turned her face towards his and wiped them away with his thumb. "We can't give up this easily Kit! We've been together forever! We have defeated the Lone One numerous time, escaped certain death, and traveled all over the Universe, to planets with names longer than every word in the English language combined! We can't let _this_ stop us. There must be some way. I'll call the University tomorrow – or something!"_

_Kit shook his head sadly. "There is nothing you can do Nita." _

_Nita pushed his hand away angrily. "So this is it then? You're just going to give up?!"_

"_No, It's not like that!"_

"_Oh really? We promised we would stay together no matter what! Did that mean nothing to you?"_

"_Nita, there is nothing we can do!"_

"_No, you're just not willing to try!" Nita's tears flowed down her cheeks. "Not even for me Kit?"_

_Kit said nothing and Nita choked on another sob. "I hope you will be happy in Miami." She told him tearfully. Then swept up and disappeared._

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When Nita arrived at her apartment later that evening, Daniel was there, bustling around the kitchen. She could smell spaghetti and smiled. It was one of the three things he could cook (the other two being pancakes and apple pie.) She hung up her coat and purse and slid into the kitchen.

"Hey honey! How was work today?" Daniel met her lips in a quick kiss before the timer on the stove chimed and he had to go stir the sauce.

"It was…fine." Then as she surveyed the kitchen, the bubbling red tomato sauce, and the pot of noodles, she remembered her talk with Kit. Kit the chef. The smile slid off her face and she busied herself on setting the table. "So what's the occasion?" Nita asked, gesturing towards the food.

"What? I can't just cook for my favorite girl?"

Nita giggled. "By all means."

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An hour later, Nita was snuggled up to Daniel, both of them watching tv. A commercial flashed up and Daniel wrestled free of Nita's hold to go back into the kitchen.

"Hey! I was just getting comfy. Where are you going?"

He chuckled. "I'll be right back!" he called over his shoulder. Daniel kept his word and was back in a minute, holding twin ice cream sundaes.

Nita made room for him and accepted her bowl of ice cream eagerly. "Man, I'm really being pampered. You must really like me. But it looks suspiciously like you're trying to butter me up. What did you do? Spit it out. Run over the neighbors cat again? You didn't spill wine on my new satin sheets did you? Or kill someone. Because that might put a damper on our relationship. "

"Never. It's just a cheer-up."

"A cheer-up?"

"Yeah, it seems like you've been a little down lately and I wanted to cheer you up." He kissed her nose gently.

Daniel never missed a thing. "I'm sorry!" Nita told him.

"For what?" he asked around a mouthful of ice cream. "Everyone has off days."

"But for you to go to all this trouble…"

"Nita do you really think its _trouble_ for me to try and make you happy? I always want you to be happy no matter what – and it's no trouble. Remember that you silly girl." He winked at her and Nita snuggled against him, cupping her sundae.

"What did I ever do to deserve you? But thanks. It's just; lately things have been rather confusing."

"Kit huh?"

"What?!"

Daniel gave her a serious look. "Nita, do you really think I'm that blind. I saw how much seeing him shook you up. And I'm not surprised. You guys were best friends for a long time and parted suddenly. Daniel _did_ see everything. "Where you guys ever, like, serious?" he asked.

"No. But if we hadn't parted, we probably would have ended up together eventually. But then I wouldn't have met you!"

He smiled at her. "Nita, I know you'll get through this."

"Thanks. The ice cream helps."

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Nita pressed against him and they're lips met. His kiss was perfect and they fit together against each other like pieces of a puzzle.

_Hmm Daniel…_ Nita thought happily as she ran her hands through his dark hair. But wait… Daniel didn't have dark hair. He was blond. And had he gotten shorter? These arms around her were comforting and sturdy, but not as muscular as they usually were.

_Daniel?_

Nita pulled back to look at his face. Her eyes did not meet Daniels green ones. They met warm brown eyes.

She was not kissing Daniel.

This was Kit.

"Wah?!" Nita sat upright in bed, her eyes flying open as she clutched at the bed covers. Her breathing came heavy and her face was flushed and hot.

What the hell was that?! Her head was spinning wildly and she felt a bit faint. Nita ran a finger over her lips, as if she could still feel the lingering touch of his mouth. She buried her head under the covers and cried.

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Please review! -Ivy


	4. Stirfry Dinner

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Young Wizard Series**

Thanks to all my reviewers!

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Nita had not called and neither had Kit, so when he went to answer his apartment door one Saturday evening in nothing but a pair of jeans, and found her standing outside, both of them were equally surprised.

"Nita? What – what are you doing here?"

Nita wouldn't quiet meet his eye and was fighting the blush that wanted to flood her cheeks. "Well, um, sorry for not calling or anything but I was on my way home and thought maybe I could…stop by? If this is a bad time or anything, I could just leave."

"No, it's fine. Just a little surprising. Come on in." Kit stepped back so Nita could enter his apartment. He slipped on a tee-shirt as Nita sidestepped a few cardboard boxes and surveyed the room. "I'm sorry about the mess," Kit apologized, gesturing towards the boxes. "I still haven't unpacked everything."

"It's ok. You should see my apartment." There was a brief but awkward silence between them, neither knowing quiet what to say.

"I was about to cook dinner. If you haven't eaten, you're welcome to eat with me." Kit broke in.

Nita smiled at him. "I would like that. What's on the menu?"

"Stir Fry." Kit led her into his kitchen which was quiet spacious for an apartment kitchen. He cut up some chicken and tossed it into a skillet, adjusting the temperature on the stove. While that heated up, he mixed some pre-chopped veggies in a bowl off to the side. To the chicken, he added a dark sauce and started to slide it around the warming pan.

"I still can't get over the fact that you're a cook," Nita told him as he tossed the food in the skilled over the burner, sprinkling some spices over the browning chicken.

He chuckled without turning away from the stove. A delicious smell was starting to fill the kitchen, accompanied by a warm sizzling. Kit added the vegetables. "I couldn't either at first. I guess I always figured I would end up as a teacher, or scientist, something brainier. But I realized there is still some science, and calculating in cooking. It's a nice job."

"I'll bet."

Their dinner was soon ready and Kit served it with artful garnishes. He watched Nita anxiously as she took the first bite. Her eyes widened as she chewed.

"Oh my god. This is delicious!" she told him as she swallowed. "What did you put into this?"

He smiled across the table and took a bite as well. "Oh, a bit of this and that."

"And you eat like this every night?" Nita took another mouthful.

Kit laughed this time. "Not always. Only when I get the time to actually prepare a meal. The rest of the time it's noodles in a cup or frozen meals. Sometimes takeout."

The meal was gone all too fast and soon the two were lounging with full stomachs and glasses of wine in the living room.

"I blame the spectacular-ness of the meal on your wizarding abilities. It must make it handy in the kitchen." Nita said.

"Yeah, I guess it does help. When two ingredients start arguing, I know they don't belong in the same dish. Like orange peel and basil. Speaking of wizardry, how is it going for you? Any major troubles?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Nita told him with a sip from her glass. "There are some really nice wizards around here but not too many since this is a pretty low maintenance area."

"I see. It must be nice to be working with a partner again huh?" Kit's voice took on a guarded tone, as if he really didn't want to be talking about this.

"Huh?" Nita asked, perplexed.

Kit turned to her. "You know. Daniel. I figured since you guys are…together, that you must be wizard partners."

Nita looked away. "No. We aren't partners." She said carefully.

Kit shifted on the couch again to look at her, an incredulous look on his face. "How can you not be partners? Two wizards _married_ and don't work together? How does—" Kit stopped dead and stared at Nita with his mouth open. Nita traced her finger around the rim of her wine glass, refusing to look at him. "Nita. Daniel does know right? He's a wizard isn't he?"

Nita was staring straight ahead. She shook her head slightly. No.

"WHAT?!" Kit leapt up, spilling his glass and ignoring the red stain seeping into the carpet like blood. "WHAT?!" he roared again. His hands and jaw were clenched. "He has no idea about wizardry? No clue?!"

Nita looked at him stiffly. "I don't think that is any of your business." She told him.

"Like hell it is!" He struggled a moment, grappling with the words that wanted to come out. "Nita, you are going to marry this man! And he doesn't even know what you are! What we are! That isn't the way it's supposed to be!" he was trembling with the ferocity of his emotions.

"Oh yeah?" Nita was on her feet now too, glaring at Kit. "You seem to know everything so tell me. Educate me _Kit._ How is it supposed to go? How is it supposed to be?"

"Its supposed to be like this." Then Kit stepped forward and captured Nita's lips with his own, before she could utter anything, before she could pull away. She froze in shock, then for a second felt her lips move against his. Until her mind fully grasped the situation.

Nita shoved Kit away from her. "WHAT THE HELL?!" she shrieked. "I am married Kit! Married!" She flashed the ring on her left hand at him and he flinched slightly as if the flash of light reflected off the diamonds had stung him. "When do you have the right to—to…' she waved her hand, at loss for words. "You know what? This was a very bad idea. I'm just going to leave." She tried to step around him, towards the door, but he stopped her, grabbing her wrist.

"Wait Nita. I'm sorry…"

"You should be. Let go of me."

"Nita, just listen. Think about what you are doing. When were you planning on telling him? Or were you not ever going to? Were you just going to make wizardry a thing of the past? Forget about it? Is that it?"

"Let go of me Kit." Tears were leaking from Nita's eyes now.

"Nita, you need to see the truth. Are you really going to give it all up? This isn't something you can just put in a shoebox in your closet to save for later. And neither am I!"

Kit saw Nita's eyes flash. "What was that Kit? You're lecturing me on leaving something behind; of pushing it away?! You and me together; that's how I thought – no hoped – it would be. Until you left me. Do you have any idea what that did to me?! I was in love with you Kit! Seven years ago. But it's too late now. Let me go." Her voice trembled and she tried to pull free but Kit tightened his hold.

"No Nita." Kit pulled her close to him, so they were almost pressing together.

"Christopher! You let go of me right now!"

"I will. But first look me in the eyes. Look at me and tell me you feel nothing what so ever for me. Just do that and I will let you go. Move out of the city even. Never contact you again."

"Just let me go!"

"No Nita. Tell me." He would not release her. For better or worse, they both needed to hear what ever would come next.

Nita was staring at the ground, her shoulders shaking. She mumbled something.

"Nita?"

"I cant." Nita looked up at him with tears flowing freely from her grey eyes. "I can't do that Kit. Because I still love you. More than I should, but I still love you." The words had just barely left her mouth and he was kissing her fiercely, as if to make up for all the time they spent apart.

Their first kiss had been muddled by confusion and anger. But this one was perfection. Kissing Daniel had been nice, pleasant. But it was while kissing Kit that Nita really lost herself. His touch filled her with fire and they fit together perfectly, as if made exclusively for each other. This kiss was like the sun on a rainy day, the best birthday present, the ripest peach.

Then, inside her mind, she could hear him, feel his happiness and relief. _Nita_. He said in his mind. _I love you so much Nita. I'm sorry._

_Oh Kit!_ And just like that, the link between their minds which had disappeared seven years ago, resurfaced, bringing them closer together than ever imaginable.

Nita could feel his hands trace along her stomach, and her hands wound in his hair. She didn't ever want to stop kissing him. She never wanted to let him go, never wanted to be apart from him. But something was nagging at her in the back of her mind. Finally she drew back from Kit, her breathing heavy.

"Wait Kit. This isn't right."

Kit kissed her neck and whispered in her ear. "What are you talking about? This is perfect." As his mouth pressed over hers, she couldn't resist and her train of thought was swept away for a minute. Then reluctantly, she pulled back again.

"No Kit seriously. I'm married. This isn't right." She repeated that to herself in her head and felt more tears spill down her cheeks. I'm married. I am a married woman. The future Mrs. Juanita Cook. These simple words, sounded so wrong strung together. "What am I going to do Kit? I love you, but what about Daniel?" Nita was so confused; it was like an ache in her chest that kept manifesting. "I just don't know what to do." She rested her head on Kit's chest as he held her, and let her tears of confusion, sadness, and joy spill out.

Finally she wiped her eyes dry and stepped away from Kit. "Where are you going?" he asked quietly.

"There are some things I need to take care of. Some things I need to think about by myself."

He just nodded and let her go. With one last glance at him, she left his apartment.

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There you have it. So there will probably be one more chapter after this ok? Please review! -Ivy


	5. Flowered Sundress

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Young Wizard Series**

Sorry it took so long to update! This is the last chapter to Collision Course (see, I told you it would be that long.) Thanks so much for reading! Please review! =]

imakeladrygirl: Hm, I didn't realize that. She isn't technically married, but is engaged and I see what you mean about easier to break off an engagement. I guess I was just referring to the fact that she's telling Kit that she's in love (*cough*sorta*cough*) and 'promised' essentially to someone else. Thanks for pointing that out!

Bookstotheceiling: Yes, I know, I curse myself for making Daniel so...nice. But I couldnt stick Nita with some abusive, slob, manpig. I mean, she's too strong to get sucked into that kind of relationship right? Atleast I think so lol

Techno-Poet: Yayz! One of the best kind of scenes! =]

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Kit looked out the steamy kitchen window and sighed. Though his hands had been dicing up vegetables, stirring up sauces, and kneading bread into soft lumps all day, his mind had been elsewhere. Over and over in his head he had been replaying the events from last night. Nita coming over. Their argument. Then the kisses they shared before she had to leave. She still hadn't called, or stopped by, or sent any mind messages.

Kit slid a round pan towards him and poured a bowl of yellow batter into it neatly. The kitchen was noisy and hot but Kit liked his work. The restaurant was busy tonight so there were many cooks and waiters darting in an out of work stations and many smells filled the air.

A pudgy man with a stained apron and slightly frantic look ran up to Kit, balancing two plates on his arm. There was a smudge of sauce on his cheek and his brow was dotted with sweat.

"Christopher! I thought you were going to make the Spinach Alfredo dip before the bread sticks came out of the oven! Where the hell is that dip?!"

"Calm down. It's already done." Kit nodded towards a pot a couple counters down, filled with a simmering saucy dip. "It has been keeping warm while I waited for you to get the bread done. Oh and the strawberries go with the chocolate mousse, not the fritters."

The man glanced down at the plates he was holding and colored slightly. He gave Kit a look of relief and slight embarrassment. "Thank you. My apologies." He said, and then he scurried off.

Kit popped the pan of batter into a large oven that already had several other pans filled with yellow cake of varying degrees of readiness. He then directed his attention to a cooled cake on a rotating platform, half of which was already frosted in a delicate pink. He picked up where he left off and continued spreading the frosting around in artful swirls across the pale cake.

When the voice floated into his mind, he almost dropped the bowl.

_Kit, I need you._

Nita. He could taste her emotions through their mind contact. She was sad, relieved, confused, and happy all at once.

_I'll be right there._ He sent back to her.

"You!" Kit motioned to a young man in a baggy apron who was standing hesitantly off to the side of the kitchen.

"Yes chef Christopher?" he asked, coming over immediately.

"I need you to finish up with these cakes. There's an emergency I need to take care of elsewhere."

"Really?! You want me to ----are you sure?" His voice was filled with astonishment. He had never been asked to do something so important by one of the higher chefs. It was normally his job to clean up counters, fix garnishes, fetch ingredients, and sweep the floors. But never, never to do something like be entrusted with frosting one of the cakes.

"Just don't screw it up," Kit told him and with that he pulled off his white hat and strode from the steamy kitchen.

.-------------------------------------.

_Nita?_

Kit opened the apartment door slowly and peeked into the dim living space. _Nita?_ He mind called again. _Are you here?_

"I'm in here," a tired voice called from the other room, accompanied by a sniff.

Kit entered and closed the door behind him, following the voice into a room off the side. The room was dark besides a small bedside lamp. Nita was sitting against the headboard with her arms wrapped around her knees. Even in the dim light, Kit could see the tears that glistened on her cheeks.

"Oh Nita…" He said quietly, and then sat quietly beside her. She leaned against him and a fresh sob rose up in her throat. Then she turned her face towards him and he let out a hiss of breath. A large bruise stretched across her cheekbone and Kit felt his fists tighten as he looked at it. "That bastard!" he exclaimed. "What the hell did he do to you Nita?!" He felt about ready to go find Daniel and strangle the life from him.

A confused look came into Nita's eyes, then she reached up to her cheek. Completely unexpectedly she started to laugh quietly.

"That wasn't Daniel. I ran into a door on my way here," she admitted. "No, Daniel was quiet the gentleman when I went to see him today." Another sniff. "I told him everything." Then more tears were leaking out her eyes.

Kit put his arms around her, resting his cheek on her hair. "What happened?"

"I told him all about being a wizard. At first he didn't believe me. But I made the table tap dance, and turned the carpet blue. And then – and then I told him about you." Noisier sobs rose up from her and her shoulders trembled.

"Was he angry?"

"No!" Nita sobbed harder. "He wasn't angry at all." The words were bubbling out now in an uncontrollable rush. "I almost wish he was angry with me but he just sat there while I told him everything. Then he nodded his head and told me all he wanted was for me to be happy." She was crying so hard near the end that Kit could barely make out what she said. "I feel so rotten! How could I do that to him? He told me he wanted me to be happy but after what I did, I don't deserve to be happy! He should have yelled, gotten angry. I would have deserved that! Before I left he told me that he would not tell anyone about my wizardry. But he also said that if I had been keep secrets like that, then maybe it was for the best that we didn't stay together. And he was right! I'm such a terrible person!"

"Nita that's not true. People do things all the time that seem like the right thing at the moment. It doesn't make them a bad person." After a few moments, when Nita's sobbing had decreased, Kit shifted slightly so he could reach the wallet in his back pocket. "I want to show you something." From inside, he took a folded dog eared picture and handed it to her.

In the dim light, Nita could see it showed a slender girl of about 19 in a flowered sundress. She was smiling brightly at the camera and there was a pair of sunglasses perched on top of her long, curly, brown hair. She was carrying a small purse and a handful of colorful flowers.

"She's pretty." Nita murmured.

"She reminded me of you."

"Who is she?"

Kit gave a sigh. "She is the real reason I left Miami."

Nita looked up at him in question.

"We started dating in my second year of college. She was a closet bookworm, curious about everything in life, and we hit it off immediately. I thought I fell in love with her. Near the end, we were getting pretty serious. I knew what she wanted. To settle down and live out her life. I knew that she loved me. Which was why I had to leave her."

"But I thought you said you loved her." Nita said uncertainly.

"I thought I did. But you know what I realized? When I looked at this girl, I wasn't seeing her for who she really was. I was seeing you Nita. And I knew she didn't deserve that. She wanted to be with me for _me._ And if I was going to stay, I needed to want the same in her. And I realized I couldn't do that. So I left her, and Miami. Not a day goes by when I don't wonder if what I did was the right thing."

Nita digested this information quietly, leaning against Kit. Finally she sighed and said quietly "Wow, we're pretty screwed up people arnt we?"

Kit chuckled softly and squeezed her gently.

"What happens now?" She wondered aloud.

Kit turned Nita so he was looking into her eyes. "Nita, I promise I wont ever leave you again. Ever. Well, unless you decide you want me to leave and in that case I'll--"

Nita whapped him gently with a pillow. "You're stuck with me buster."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

Nita smoothed the photo in her hands again then handed it back to Kit. "I hope she's happy where ever she is," Nita told him. "She probably lives in a beach house with her soul mate, two dogs, and their 3 1/2 children."

"If there is any fairness in this world, she will be."

"Lets start over fresh." Nita said suddenly. "Start with a clean slate, no grudges, or past regrets ok?"

"Sounds good to me," Kit leaned down and met her lips with his. "Wait," Kit said when they broke apart. "Does this mean I have to move again?"

Nita laughed and pulled him closer. Kit tucked a piece of Nita's behind her ear, then she pressed up against him and their lips found each other again. Nita smiled against his lips. Everything would be better from here on out, with Kit at her side.

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The End! Thanks for sticking with me you guys! Mucho thanks to everyone who took the time to read but especially to my reviewers who not only read but shared their thoughts! =] -Ivy


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